Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The formation of rain-shadow deserts

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The diagram illustrates the process how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, this is a linear process consisting of seven steps, beginning with the winds flow towards the coast and ending with when the dry winds reach inland areas and formed a rain-shadow desert thousands of kilometers away from the coast.

Initially, the winds flow from the sea towards the coast . As soon as the winds approach the coast, mountains pushed the winds in the upward direction through the windward side, which is left-hand side of the mountains. The moist air rises and fhrough pressure its cools down. At the next satge, the air evaporates and form clouds. The rain falls over the mountains; however, the dry air continuously flows over the mountains through the leeward side.

At the following step, the dry winds reach inland areas and formed a rain shadow desert, which is thousands of kilometeres away from the costal area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully identifies the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram and provides an overview of the linear process. All seven key stages are reported in sequence, from the winds approaching the coast to the formation of the desert thousands of kilometers away. The relationship between the windward side, the mountains, and the leeward side is correctly captured. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting the scientific mechanism, such as stating that 'the air evaporates and form clouds' rather than cooling and condensing, which slightly detracts from precision. Overall, the task is well covered, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0, and fits comfortably within Band 6.0 due to some under-developed mechanical descriptions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is structured into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs that follow the chronological order of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'As soon as', 'At the next stage', and 'At the following step' are used to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. However, referencing and paragraphing could be smoother, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is adequate, but the division of sentences occasionally disrupts the natural flow of information. This corresponds to Band 6.0 descriptors where the arrangement is coherent overall, but cohesion is sometimes faulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting subject-specific terms such as 'rain-shadow desert', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'coastal area'. There are, however, several lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'winds flow towards' instead of 'winds blowing towards', 'satge' (spelling error for stage), 'continuously' instead of 'continuous', and 'costal' (spelling error for coastal). While these vocabulary limitations and spelling mistakes do not impede overall communication, they prevent the score from reaching a higher band. The lexical resource is sufficient for a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses ('which is left-hand side of the mountains') and temporal clauses ('As soon as the winds approach the coast'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors in tense consistency and subject-verb agreement, including 'the process how a rain-shadow desert is formed', 'mountains pushed the winds', 'air evaporates and form', and 'formed a rain shadow desert' (tense shift from present to past). Punctuation and article use also show inconsistencies. Because errors occur regularly across both simple and complex sentences, the grammar aligns with Band 5.5 or 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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